The lawyers of Thacker Robinson Zinz will be joining Brouse McDowell, effective July 31.
After the deal closes the firm will have more than 80 attorneys — about a dozen coming from TRZ — across five offices, including four in Ohio — Akron, Cleveland, Toledo and Youngstown — and one in Naples, Florida.
The combination will grow the firm’s footprint in the insurance recovery space, with more than 25 attorneys concentrating in this area, including eight of the 26 Insurance Coverage Law Specialists certified by the Ohio State Bar Association. It will also expand the firm’s coverage in commercial litigation to include a wider variety of matters arising out of contract disputes, business tort claims and corporate control issues.
The combination will result in broader client offerings and industry capabilities, notably including the addition of an experienced litigation/discovery management practice.
“The combination of the lawyers of these two firms creates the largest and most sophisticated insurance recovery group representing the interests of policyholders in the State of Ohio, with lawyers who are also capable of and engaged in a national practice,” Brouse McDowell Managing Partner Marc B. Merklin said in a statement. “Combined with our existing full-service business model serving large and midsize businesses, in a variety of industries including manufacturing and health care, this solidifies our presence in this market.”
The deal follows Brouse McDowell’s acquisition of Canfield-based Nadler Nadler and Burdman Co. LPA, in late 2016, which expanded the firm’s coverage in the greater Youngstown area.
